title: Taking stock of the first 133 MERS coronavirus cases globally--Is the epidemic changing?
abstract: Since June 2012, 133 Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) cases have been identified in nine countries. Two time periods in 2013 were compared to identify changes in the epidemiology. The case-fatality risk (CFR) is 45% and is decreasing. Men have a higher CFR (52%) and are over-represented among cases. Thirteen out of 14 known primary cases died. The sex-ratio is more balanced in the latter period. Nosocomial transmission was implied in 26% of the cases.
authors.affiliation: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Penttinen
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kaasik-Aaslav
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Friaux
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Donachie
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sudre
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Amato-Gauci
authors.forename: Z A
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Memish
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Coulombier
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016358:Contact Tracing; D017934:Coronavirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018352:Coronavirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology; D058872:Epidemics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008877:Middle East / Q000453:epidemiology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D017421:Sequence Analysis; D017678:Sex Distribution; D055815:Young Adult